Bait
by Out-of-Character217
Summary: Leon is not what Sephiroth expected, but he'll use him nonetheless. He'll use him to get to Cloud, and he'll enjoy every last second. *** warnings inside***
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** After lurking around and nosing in on other peoples convos the past couple of days (sorry not sorry), its become apparent that there is a need for more darkfic in the Strifehart fandom. And of course I am, as always, more than happy to oblige. So, heed the warnings, and click that back button if this ain't your cuppa tea. Otherwise, enjoy.

 **Warnings:** Torture, violence, rape, mind fuckery, blood, gore, emotional manipulation, angst up the wazoo, and general canon typical battle scenes.

 **Part 1/2**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

The shifting, coiling clouds were not a dream. They moved overhead, billowing and thundering silently, flashes of lightning illuminating the rolling waves in muted patches of silver, and the sky boiled like an angry sea; everything silent and grey and dark. Leon gazed at it, disconnected, wondering how he had come to stumble into this nightmare again, and waited for the dream shapes to shift. But then the pain began. Slowly, it seeped into his shoulder and down his side, and the feeling of his body returned to him in gradients of aches and pains as he realised he was not asleep.

He blinked slowly, purposefully, and turned his head to the side. He was lying on a bed, the world tilted on its axes in a sickening sea-saw as his head spun, a tightness griping the back of his throat as he swallowed hard and tried to focus his vision. Surrounding him stood tall pillars of grey stone, and their height seemed to hold up the weight of the imposing, impossibly near sky, and in the silent breeze flapped long gossamer curtains, billowing like the rolling sea above his head in lazy, soundless ululations.

Everything was grey. The landscape beyond the pillars of stone was a barren wasteland of rocks and a far reaching horizon, with no setting sun or rising moon; the light that turned everything bluish/silver was unnatural, and came from everywhere and nowhere at once.

The battle came back to Leon's syrupy mind. A flash of steel and the sound of rain and thunder. The night had been dark and stormy and it had made fighting hard. He hadn't been expecting the attack. Not from _him_ at least.

The fleeting image of silver hair and green eyes quickened Leon's pulse and he pulled in a ragged breath through his bloody nose, chocking on a clot in the back of his throat, and he coughed. The spasms wrenched the hole in his shoulder open wider, and suddenly the flow of blood in his veins caught up with his pounding heart.

It was a trial to move his arms, numb as they were, only for them to rattle against chains that tightened around his wrists and throat as he moved. A subtle warning not to try too hard.

He struggled not to panic. He gripped hard to the swelling, rising fear in his gut and wrestled it down. Tried to breathe slowly and purposefully, and look for a way out of this madness.

In the shadows behind the undulating curtains, a figure coalesced; there one second, gone the next. And in a flicker of soundless lightning, the shape of a man emerged, brushing aside the delicate material with a soft swipe of a long finger.

Leon lost control of the panic and it manifested in a short struggle. A quick flinch of his body that was abruptly cut short by the pain of his wounds and the chocking hold of the chain around his throat. It cut off the gasp of shock, instead the sound coming out like a broken wheeze.

"You are..." Sephiroth began, his one wing hanging languidly over his shoulder, feathers oily black against the greyish light. Shining shades of blue and purple as the silent lightning caught their edges. "...Not what I expected."

Leon remained silent, the return of his senses not quite extended to his voice yet. He only breathed heavily and tried not to choke. Sephiroth continued to stare, his eyes shining brilliantly, bright against the darkness that shadowed his face.

"I was expecting a _woman."_ He confessed, the smallest of twitches in the corner of his mouth, indicating amusement. "It seems Cloud is still capable of surprising me."

Leon tried to shift the weight from off his shoulder, pushing himself up the bed a little with a weak kick of his legs that eased the choke-hold of the chain around his neck. He coughed and released the stranglehold from his voice.

"Where am I?" His voice was coarse like gravel and heavy with pain.

"The World In-between." Sephiroth replied, offering this much, though it made no sense to Leon and brought him even less comfort.

"Am… am I dead?" He rasped, looking up at the silent sky and the dream-like quality of everything.

Sephiroth laughed, deep in his throat, the sound the only clear thing in the silence of the landscape. It did not echo and it did not travel; it pressed like a weighted stone against Leon's mind and he suddenly had the urge to scream.

Leon ground his teeth down and trapped the terror inside.

"Do you wish to be?" Sephiroth asked, one silver eyebrow raised, the gesture so human and so subtle, Leon had to turn his face away. He shook his head, eyes sliding closed, and tried not to give into the terror as Sephiroth laughed again.

"I look forward to changing your mind."

* * *

Cloud bolted awake and sat up on his bedroll, panting heavily, the fragments of his dream floating in his mind like echoes through fog. It had not been a dream, he was certain, though the cold fingers of reality were starting to make the iridescent images of the sleep-world seem less real, and he was doubting himself. Still, his panic was real. He could feel it pulsing in his jaw and wrists. Could feel it binding his chest as he fought for breath.

He threw off his blanket and reached for his phone, pulling it out of his pocket as he stood on shaking legs. It was still night time over the canyon, and the temperature was hovering above freezing; his breath condensing in the air as he panted quickly.

The phone rang and rang, eventually cutting to voicemail. Cloud tried again. Nothing. Despite the fact that it was still the middle of the night, Leon would have answered him. He tried again just to be sure. When all that responded to him was the mechanical tones of the answering machine, Cloud snapped the phone shut and turned a sharp circle on his feet. Everything was as he'd left it: his bike propped on it's stand beside his bedroll, a small fire gutted out to cold ashes, and the wide expanse of the canyon lay around him; a maze of ravines and cliff faces of cold, jagged rock. He'd been lost in them for days. Following the pull of malevolent energy. Unmistakable in its signature. A game of cat and mouse between two old enemies.

Had it been a rouse?

Cloud flipped his phone open again and dialled Tifa's number. She picked up after the first three rings.

"Cloud? What a surprise. Are you alright? Its the middle of the night."

"Where's Leon?" Cloud cut straight to the chase. The image of long silver hair and the flash of steel cutting through flesh echoing in his mind's eye.

"Leon? He's… well he should be on patrol, I think." Tifa sounded dazed and confused. "It's his turn tonight. What's all this about?"

"He's not answering his phone. I need you to check on him."

Tifa was silent for a moment.

"Cloud, is this really necessary?" She was tired.

"Yes." Cloud bit back, maybe a little too harshly. He clenched his jaw and tried to breathe. Regulating his pounding heart through force of will. "I just… please Teef." It wasn't often he begged.

"Alright, just… give me a minute. I'll ring you when I've found him. It's probably just on silent." Tifa said, meaning Leon's phone. It didn't ease the anxiety in Cloud's jaw. Cloud was the only one that ignored his phone.

He cut the line and settled in to wait. Pacing backwards and forwards he tried to sift through the dream that had startled him awake. So real. Like he had been there on the edges of their circle as they'd fought, watching them. He tried Leon's phone again. Several times. It only rang on and on, that damned automated message bidding him to leave his name and number.

On the seventh ring it connected, and a spike of hope, sharp and needle pointed lanced through Cloud's chest.

"Leon?" He breathed the man's name in a rushed gasp.

"It's Tifa." Came the reply. "Cloud… something happened here..." The words like ice water crashing over Cloud's head. "A battle. Leon's sword, his phone… there's rubble everywhere."

"Where are you?" Cloud manage to choke out.

"The Bailey. There's traces of magic… Cloud…" A heavy silence filled the static, Tifa's voice a fractured, fluttering thing on the other end of the line.

"What, what is it?" Cloud snapped.

"There's feathers… black feathers, everywhere."

Cloud felt his stomach drop away. In the distance, over the rising rocks and guttering winds, a whispered voice came on the air. It laughed mockingly and called Cloud's name in a breathing, hissing sound of darkened mirth, fading away to nothing as Cloud turned his head to find the source. He stood, staring out towards the east where the sun would rise in less than two hours, and forgot about the phone in his hand. The voice was dissipating now, broken up on the freezing wind and only the tinny voice of Tifa could be heard over the phone.

"Cloud?… Cloud!" She called, her own voice risen to panic.

Cloud raised the phone to his ear again and swallowed past the knot of terror in his throat.

"I'm coming home." He said before he snapped the phone shut and ran back towards his bike.

* * *

"How do you like it?" Sephiroth asked, walking slowly and silently around the bed.

Leon followed him carefully, tracking him with silver eyes clouded with pain as he watched him sit beside him, that single wing arched out above him, the edge of it touching his wounded side with a careful reverence that made Leon shiver.

"A fair approximation of your own living hell, is it not?" Sephiroth gestured to the outside and the great grey expanse of nothingness that lay there. "The sorceress would be quite please with it, don't you think?"

This couldn't be Time Compression. He'd killed her. There was no going back to that nightmare. But Leon's eyes were not deceiving him. Everything looked so hauntingly familiar: the bare rock, the endless horizon, and the billowing sky that held no day or night.

"You don't know anything about me." Leon managed to growl, though the words were not as menacing as he'd intended; spattered with tremors and shades of fear.

"I know _everything_ about you." Sephiroth whispered, bending low to Leon's ear as his hair brushed the side of his face, making Leon jerk his head away. "Your light, your hopes, your dreams..." he lifted a hand and brushed his knuckles gently down the side of Leon's face in a tender caress, enjoying the way the warrior fought not to flinch at the contact. "Your darkness."

Leon turned his head, sharpening his gaze to a glare as he stared up at Sephiroth despite the touch of his fingers that sent shivers over his skin. Curling his lip, he steadied his voice.

"You don't know anything." He repeated, slowly and darkly, punctuating each word softly with menace.

The touch of Sephiroth's hand moved lower, gliding over Leon's neck, passing over his shoulder and chest, awakening all the wounds he'd left with Masamune as he passed. Each pain flaring to life with searing agony until he stopped at the centre of his chest and slowly pulled apart the ruined material of his shirt. The dried blood pulled at the curled edges of the sword wound and ripped the scabs that had crusted over there. The through and through wound should have killed him – all of the injuries littering Leon's body should have killed him – had he still been in the real world, he might have died as they had dictated, yet he lingered on here, suspended in the agony as they refused to heal.

"I know what you fear..." Sephiroth whispered, circling his thumb around the injury, teasing the stinging flesh.

Leon sucked in a breath through clenched teeth and went rigid and still. If Sephiroth thought he feared pain and suffering, he was way off the mark. He would not break under that kind of torture.

Sephiroth bent lower, bringing his lips to Leon's ear as the warrior flinched away, closing his eyes against the feel of moist breath on his neck.

"They are _not_ coming for you." Sephiroth whispered, digging his thumb into the wound, twisting it sharply as Leon pulled a jagged breath in and arched up off the bed, the scream ripped from his throat in a hoarse cry of pain, abruptly cut off as the chain tightened and denied him oxygen.

Sephiroth removed his thumb and Leon went still. The chain slackened and his breath came back to him in a haggard wheeze, rattling in and out of his chest in great wet gasps.

"They will abandon you here, you know that, don't you?" Sephiroth cooed in Leon's ear, bringing his thumb up to trace the line of Leon's lips, painting smears of blood on greying skin. "Your so called _friends..._ "

"F...fuck you." Leon stammered. Pain made everything difficult, even talking.

Sephiroth smiled and nuzzled his nose against Leon's sweating temple, pulling in the scent of his fear and agony. "Maybe later." He cooed, running his thumb back down the arch of Leon's throat, over his clavicle and back to the wound at his sternum. "But first, I want you to call to him." Sephiroth pressed a kiss to Leon's damp hairline, his words hovering by his ear as he stretched out beside the quivering body.

"W...who?" Leon bluffed, his voice cut off into a pained groan as Sephiroth resumed his teasing with his thumb.

"Don't play games with me. You know who." Sephiroth dipped the digit inside the gash once again, curling it against the bone and gristle and Leon cried out, his mind coloured red as a flickering image of Cloud ghosted the backs of his eyelids.

"Call to him..."

"No." Leon ground out, managing to keep the sounds of agony behind his clenched teeth as Sephiroth's thumb went deeper. He hit soft tissue and ripped a wider tear in the skin, releasing the scream locked in Leon's throat as it tore away from him. His body shook with pained tremors, skin drenched in sweat and greyish with postponed death. He squeezed his eyes shut and thought of Cloud, the image of the man so clear in his mind, but he refused to say his name. All that left his lips was another anguished scream, and this time, the sound echoed over the landscape.

* * *

Cloud dismounted in a shower of dust and debris thrown up from his bike's rear tire. Ripping off his goggles, he strode over the causeway, hopping over the low running walkways and jumped from wall to wall, landing with careful precision down in the Bailey. It was quiet and deathly still, all the rubble and ruined brick work scattered about like crumbs, and blowing in between the fragments were black, oily feathers. The tinge of magic hung in the air, tasting metallic on the back of Cloud's tongue, and he recognised the signature immediately. Leon had been here.

It didn't take him much longer to find the inky spots of dried blood spattered about the cobbles and walls. Leon had been _hurt_ here.

"Cloud!"

He turned sharply to see Tifa running down the gangway towards him, her face stretched into a worried grimace as she caught up.

"I've had everyone out looking since you called, we can't find him anywhere." She reported, a little out of breath.

"You won't find him." Cloud replied, his voice a lot steadier than he felt. He bent to pick up a wayward feather that blew against his leg and turned it in his fingers. It caught the light, and a sheen of purple and blue ran over it like light passing over oil on water. The stench of Darkness on it was almost overpowering.

"What, why? Do you know where he is?" Tifa gave the feather a cautionary glance out of the corner of her eye.

"No." Cloud shook his head, holding back a subtle tremble of his lips as he said it. "But I know _who_ has him. That's a start."

"It's… it's him, isn't it?" Tifa asked, her voice as gentle as she could make it. "He's really back?"

Cloud lowered the feather. "Yeah." He replied quietly, not wanting to believe it was true despite knowing it in his heart. He'd felt him there for weeks. Had known it was time to leave Radiant Garden and draw him out away from the people he loved. Away from Leon. He hadn't planned on this backfiring on him so badly. He'd left everyone unprotected.

A flash of light behind his eyes and a sharp, piercing scream inside his head had him stumbling backwards a fraction. Rocked back onto his heals by the sudden force of it. It hit him like lightning through his temples and he closed his eyes against the pain in his mind, only to see a flashing, fleeting image of Leon, face contorted in pain as he screamed, the sound echoing in his ears as it stole the strength from his legs.

Tifa helped him down to his knees, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady him as he panted heavily through the fading waves of pain.

"What was that?" She asked kneeling beside him, watching his face as he stared wide eyed at the ground.

"I don't… I don't know." Cloud shook his head, part denial, part attempt at clearing the fog that still lingered. "I saw him. I saw Leon." He breathed. "He's in trouble." Cloud looked up at Tifa, his eyes large and round and frightened.

"Did you see where he was?"

"I don't..." Cloud shook his head, closing his eyes to try and recall the vision but there was nothing but an ominous feeling left. "I think I have an idea." He finally said, gritting his teeth as he stood on shaking legs. It was a long shot, but if Sephiroth had him, then he was no longer on this world. There was only one way to get to Sephiroth, and for that, Cloud needed to get to Olympus.

"I gotta go. Call the others back, there's no point in them looking any more. Just keep them safe." He implored her, turning to run back up the gangway. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

* * *

The knife was a smaller, shorter replica of Masamune. It was slimmer and more elegant, about the size of a man's forearm, and it stuck out of Leon's palms, pinning him to the headboard in an inelegant half slump, half dangle as he tried to ease the pressure on his ruined hands. He winced and let out a pained groan, squirming uncontrollably on the bed as Sephiroth twisted it, widening the wounds as the blade turned in his flesh, mangling the delicate bones that ran through them.

"This pain can be over." Sephiroth whispered to him, his lips once again close to Leon's ear as he sat above him, one long leg arched over Leon's lap, sat astride him as he held his head up with a strong hand underneath his jaw. "I can end your suffering. All you have to do is call to him."

Leon had been finding it difficult to speak for hours. His hoarse screams had ripped away most of his voice and instead he answered with a low and tattered grunt of pain; small whimpers spluttering from his lips along with flecks of bloody spittle. He shook his head now instead. The motion slow and small, yet undeniably a refusal.

"Why do you protect him when he has failed you like this?" Sephiroth cooed against his temple, running his lips along the skin by his ear as his fingers cupped Leon's jaw. "He's left you." He continued, turning the knife a little more, "Abandoned you to this pain… to me… a coward and a puppet, he can't possibly save you. He doesn't know how. You're _his_ light, are you not?" Sephiroth pulled away a fraction, bringing his eyes level with Leon's watery ones, glazed with pain and fatigue.

"Who fights for you? Who is _your_ light in the darkness?" He taunted, running his thumb over chapped lips, smearing the blood pooled at the corner of Leon's mouth. "You know he doesn't have it in him. He's too full of Darkness. He _will_ leave you here alone."

Leon closed his eyes, his only defence against the poisonous words coming from Sephiroth's mouth as he finally pressed his lips against his own, the taste of metallic blood and dark magic against his tongue as he struggled for breath. He couldn't turn away, the hand around his jaw too tight, and with an exhausted gasp of pain as Sephiroth turned the blade in his hand again, he let the man's tongue inside. He tasted nothing but blood and darkness.

"He will leave you here to die, Squall." Sephiroth whispered against his lips as he pulled away, that glint of menace and mockery in his eyes.

"Then why… bother calling… for him at all?" Leon managed to croak out between laboured breaths, involuntary twitches making him shudder against the headboard as Sephiroth let go of the knife and sat back, arcing his shoulders as he shrugged his way out of his long black coat. His wing arched out behind him, fluttering in the silent breeze as Sephiroth flexed his muscles, grinding his pelvis down on Leon's legs as he shifted his weight.

"Because when I show him to you, I want him to see," Sephiroth smiled, reaching up to pull the knife free from Leon's hands with a horrid wet squelch, making Leon grimace and bite his bloody lip in a silent moan. "See how pathetic his hope has been. His hope that he could fight his way out of the Darkness where he belongs."

Leon shook his head, his sweaty, bloody bangs passing back and forth in front of his eyes as he looked up at Sephiroth under a hooded gaze. "H… he b-belongs... with m-me." he stammered, body beginning to break down into shivers of pain addled shock once again.

"With you?" Sephiroth mocked, his voice turning on the edge of the knife as he flipped the blade over in his hand. "Your place is to be _forgotten._ You're nothing but a failure: a lonely, cold and insufferable boy who can never be close to anyone. Your place is to die _alone_ and in shame, unable to protect anyone, not even yourself. You're weak, Squall. You're nothing compared to _him_ and you've always known it. Isn't it why you've always feared becoming his light?"

Leon felt his lips trembling, the savagery of Sephiroth's words tearing at his mind as he fought to close his ears to them.

"Because you know you can never be strong enough to keep him away from the Darkness?"

"N-no!" Leon shook his head, a million reasons why Sephiroth was wrong sitting on his tongue but not one of them would come.

"Then. Call. To. Him!" Sephiroth breathed close to his face, each word punctuated with a deadly threat.

Leon shook his head again. "I won't… l-let you do this… t-to him." He caught the moment Sephiroth's anger sprang free from his careful control, the impending swell of rage mirroring the real and irrepressible fear in Leon's eyes as Sephiroth lifted the blade above his head and brought it down into Leon's leg with a terrible roar of anger.

It stabbed through his thigh, glancing straight though bone, slicing the femur in two, and Leon let out a howling screech of agony, arching off the bed as far as his chains would allow, twisting and turning, and trying to kick his way free of the blade.

Sephiroth withdrew the weapon, its removal hardly noticed as Leon continued to whimper and writhe on the bed, his face turned away into the crook of his arm as he bit down on the flesh and tried to stifle the noises of agony. He hardly noticed the distribution of Sephiroth's weight shift, sliding further down the bed as he grabbed Leon's legs and pulled hard, yanking him away from the headboard, the chains stretched to their capacity.

The sudden movement pulled on all of Leon's wounds, and he let out a pitiful yelp, his body quivering with shock and pain; what pitiful strength he had left soon exhausted as he tried to kick out and fight away from Sephiroth's hands as they unbuckled his belts, ripping them free as he slid the sticky, sweaty leather trousers off, leaving Leon exposed to the soundless breeze that offered no refreshment, no coolness, as it breathed over his abused body. He felt the bed dip, and a hand grip his ankle, twisting the leg that wasn't injured, up, bending it at the knee as something was tied around his thigh, strapping it to his calf at an obscene angle. It left him exposed, rolled onto his side, all of his weight through his injured thigh and ribs, and with a pitiful moan of pain he felt Sephiroth settle against his back, a menacing hand coming to rest on his exposed backside.

"I know..." Sephiroth began, his lips close to Leon's ear as he whispered lowly, "It takes more than pain to break a man. To shatter his loyalty. It takes… intimacy." Sephiroth let the word linger in the air as he slid a finger between the cleft of Leon's buttocks. "Pain is just the vehicle. The goal is humiliation. So much so that you can never look at yourself in the same way again; can never look at _him_ the same way again. Knowing what you've done… what you _let_ happen..."

Leon choked on a sob as the first finger breached him, his face pressed into the sheets beneath his cheek, his face wet with fear and agony, lips peeled back over gritted teeth as he struggled not to let out the sounds of sheer panic that threatened to engulf him.

"You won't call for him, yet in your heart you want this to stop." Sephiroth began to move his hand, slowly pulling his finger back in ominous, menacing little movements of intimate mockery. Adding another finger to stretch him wider, feeling Leon jerk underneath his touch, fighting to keep control of a body that wanted to scream and fight its way out of the forced intimacy. "You want this to end, before it goes too far, before I take what you cannot get back."

"Ugh… go f-fuck… yourself." Leon stammered, breathing hard as he silently begged to fall unconscious.

The fingers were removed, and a fleeting emptiness replaced them. Leon breathed in as deeply as he could, readying himself for what he knew must come next, silently promising himself that he wouldn't call out, wouldn't make a sound. He could withstand this. The real shame would be in letting _him_ hear his pain.

Sephiroth entered him slowly. Deliberately. Rolling his hips inch by inch until he was pressed up against Leon's back, all the way inside him and biting down on his shoulder, drawing blood as he felt Leon spasm and shake, his body rigid and tight, before he heard the sound of a choking wheeze, like the sound of someone being winded, and then Leon was drawing a ragged breath in; the desperate gasp of a starving man as he gulped in lungful after lungful of air.

"Does this feel familiar, Squall? This intimacy?" Sephiroth spoke quietly into his ear, gently brushing his hip with a soft swipe of his thumb as he pulled back, rocking into Leon again with small motions. "Is this how you'll have him remember you?"

 _Please…_ Leon begged within the chaos of his mind. _Please, Cloud… don't come. Stay away..._

"Are you thinking of him?" Sephiroth bent closer, his lips brushing the shell of Leon's ear as he grazed the flesh between his teeth. "Are you calling his name in your mind?"

 _I'm sorry… I couldn't… it won't stop… it won't end until…_ Leon let out a sob of anguish, hot tears the only thing that warmed his cold and clammy face as he pressed it into the sheets, his whole body shaking with his pent up rage and shame. "N-no," he moaned; nothing more than a quiet whisper into the still air, thick with sorrow as he breathed out. He felt Sephiroth hiss against his neck, the sibilance vibrating against his skin as hips began to work faster, a hand snaking lower to grasp his limp cock and begin to stroke him.

"N-no..." He moaned again, harder, as he tried to turn his hips away, to break the contact.

"Yes," Sephiroth insisted, pulling Leon closer to him, bending his body around him as he gave him humiliating pleasure. "You deserve this much, Squall. You know you do."

His arousal grew despite himself, despite the disconnection he felt between his mind and body; it was responding to the touch of Sephiroth's hand and the feeling a familiar invasion; that slow burn that turned to sweet pleasure.

"Your reward..." Sephiroth continued to croon, stroking faster as he rocked harder, feeling Leon's body trembling violently. "Let it out, say his name." He coaxed, knowing Leon was close to the edge, only the slightest of nudges would have him collapsing to his will as he brought him to the brink of his torture. "Let go..."

Leon bit his lip, blood pooling in his mouth as he gasped, trying not to push back against the hand that dragged him towards completion. Nothing hurt here. The aches and pains of his body had disappeared only to be replaced with the sweet ache of denied release, and he wanted it. He hated himself for it but he wanted it so much. That briefest of moments when nothing hurt, nothing mattered and there was only climax.

 _I… I'm sorry… I can't…_ "Cl-oud!" Leon choked out the name in a broken whimper as Sephiroth finally let him fall, his orgasm racking his body in violent spasms, the deep flush of completion enveloping him from head to toe as he felt Sephiroth stiffen behind him and breath out a satisfied groan into his shoulder.

When it was over, when all was still and the fleeting aftershocks had subsided, the pain crashed in around him once again, and Leon was back within the fragile confines of his fickle body. He felt Sephiroth withdraw, the feeling making him wince and hiccup out a lonely mewl of agony, and he let himself be turned over onto his back, his body completely broken and useless against Sephiroth's ministrations as he brushed long fingers up and down the fluttering cage of his ribs.

"He is coming now. There can be no stopping it."

Leon let his eyes flicker open, lashes damp with cold tears, and he stared up into the grey and billowing sky. So impossibly close he felt that he could stretch put a hand and touch it.

"How does it feel?" Sephiroth asked him, dragging a finger through the sticky residue left on Leon's belly. "Knowing you have failed him? Tell me," he raised the finger to Leon's lips and pushed it into his mouth, swiping it across his tongue. "Have you ever wondered what true betrayal tastes like?"

Leon gagged and tried to turn his face aside, Sephiroth's strong grip around his jaw pulling him back to stare into his wounded, glassy eyes. "He was coming for you all along; I want you to know that. He knew where you were from the moment you first cried out." The smile that twisted Sephiroth's lips tore what was left of Leon's dignity away, and he closed his eyes and let the tears come.

"I was just curious to see if you would break. And you did, Squall. You did."

"You f-fucking… b-bastard." Leon stuttered, sobbing quietly as he trembled next to the warm body.

"Are you still so confident now? So sure that he won't abandon you like everyone else you've ever loved?"

Images of his long lost family: Sis, Rinoa, Seifer, his mother and father… all of his friends that he had taken for granted, flashed behind his eyelids. All gone. The ache of losing them never truly diminished. He'd never been able to deny that his life had only ever been a cruel cycle of love and loss. Deep down, he'd always feared that Cloud would be no different.

"Go on, say it. Convince me that Cloud will still want you after this?" Sephiroth's smile could be heard in his words, Leon didn't have to open his eyes to see it.

"Not so certain now, are you, Squall?"

Leon couldn't stand it any more, he wanted Sephiroth's words to stop.

"P-please..." he stuttered a broken reply, voice hoarse and thick with sorrow. "Please just s-stop."

Sephiroth answered him with an amused chuckle, before the weight and the warmth of his body disappeared from Leon's side and just as suddenly as he had appeared, Sephiroth was gone, leaving Leon alone in the great grey expanse underneath the silent sky.

* * *

"I told ya already Cloud, Hades ain't got no one in this tournament. You want in to the underworld, ya gonna have to go the same way everyone else does." Phil groused as he chewed on a barley stick, arms folded over his pot belly as he watched the training match. "That is, unless you still got your special pass?" He looked up at Cloud from under a speculative brow.

"I'm not using Darkness. I'm done with all that." Cloud responded tersely, curling his fist a little at the suggestion.

"Well then, might I suggest you find someone who's dead or dying and make a deal with them? I don't know why you wanna go so bad any ways."

Cloud didn't bother filling him in. He turned back into the shadowed corridors of the arena, cursing his luck. He used to find getting in touch with Hades so easy. The God would show up at some of the most inopportune times, and now that Cloud really needed him he was nowhere to be found.

He stepped out into the bright, dusty market square and folded himself into the crowd. He needed a back up plan and quick. By his watch, Leon had been missing 48 hours so far and if Sephiroth had taken him where he thought he'd taken him, then that was already going to feel like an eternity. Time moved differently in the Shadow Worlds.

Cloud felt the subtle shift in atmosphere this time. It still crept up on him with blinding speed but he was able to side step his way into an alcove before the blinding light hit the back of his eyes and he was catapulted onto his knees with a crippling pain and a breathy gasp as a soft, feathery voice, filled with agony floated across his thoughts.

 _Please, Cloud… don't come. Stay away…_

The reedy voice grew to a buzzing crescendo before it popped the bubble in Cloud's mind, and he was thrown back into reality with a winded gasp. The words echoed long after the sickening sensation had passed, and Cloud slowly climbed to his feet. He was still breathing hard, forcing down the bile in his throat, when he finally let the realisation that those had been Leon's words – Leon's voice – into his mind. He had _never_ heard Leon sound like that before.

And the warning had been clear: _Stay away…_ Cloud scoffed, like hell he would.

He grit his teeth and stepped back out into the crowd, following its natural rhythm until he came back round to the east entrance of the Colosseum. He pushed his way inside, preferring the dark and shadowed recesses of the hypogeum. He'd need privacy and darkness for what he was about to do.

He'd promised Leon he'd never use his Darkness again no matter how tempting it was. Hell, he'd even promised himself. But the echoes of Leon's plea in his mind pushed all thoughts of guilt and broken promises to the side. Now secure and hidden in the underground chambers below the arena, he secreted himself away in a small stone room and closed the door.

Ripping the wing from his back had always been painful, but especially after so long. Cloud clenched his teeth as the membrane unfolded; long, hollow talons of cartilage and sinew unfurling like an old sail, and Cloud felt the temperature around him drop a few degrees. In counterpoint, calling forth Darkness had always been easy. He stretched out his mind, and like a rising smoke it come to him, engulfing him in daytime shadow as he disappeared from the Olympus plane and descended straight into the underworld.

* * *

Leon didn't know how long he'd been left alone this time. In this strange and soundless world, the passing of time was irrelevant. Yet Sephiroth had marked it with a few more moments of torture and sadistic pleasure. Fleeting moments really, compared with the long hours spent with nothing but Leon's own thoughts for company. He never slept, didn't thirst or hunger, and could never slip into the welcoming arms of oblivion. He was trapped as a prisoner not only in his body, but in his mind, too. Sephiroth had seen to that.

He floated on pain that had never diminished, still as raw and as fresh as the first time Sephiroth had driven his blade into his flesh, never easing or giving him a moments respite, and Leon was beginning to fear that even death would not be on option here. If he couldn't even slip away into the peace of his own unconsciousness, there could be no hope of ever slipping away for good.

It was the waiting for something he wasn't even sure would come that was the torture now. His isolation, his pain and humiliation would stay with him for eternity. That's what Sephiroth wanted him to fear. And it was working.

He'd begged Sephiroth to end it the last time he'd left him. He was past dignity, he wasn't even ashamed to admit he wanted Sephiroth to kill him.

He was beginning to hallucinate now. Or maybe Sephiroth had planned this for him too? He couldn't tell any more, just allowed the strange shapes and shadows to gradually merge and form familiar images. He saw his long lost family. Their faces so clear and precise, until they flickered and shifted, and then they disappeared like winter fog. He saw them smiling at first. A reflection of years ago before Darkness had come to their world and destroyed everything. Leon recalled the pain of not being able to save them; not being able to _find_ them again. The terrible realisation that he would have to let them go only so that he could carry on. It had taken him years to get to that point.

Those long lost faces faded away and were replaced with newer friends and family, no less cherished, no less important. The rebuilding of Radiant Garden had been the only thing that had stopped Leon from slipping into himself. He owed everything to Aerith for finding him and convincing him to stay.

Whispers and voices were kicked up like sand in the back of his mind. Echoes of laughter and quiet gentle murmurs.

 _They are not coming for you…_ that insipid, poisonous tongue melted through the dream like quality of the images, spiking Leon's languid heartbeat with pain as the images dancing in front of his eyes began to burn; the faces of his friends, past and present, falling apart like brittle leaves.

 _They will abandon you… they all do, in the end._

Out of the flickering, hazy smoke, rising to the top like molten silver, an image of Cloud came to Leon's mind. A private image – Cloud's face turned down in a secretive, bashful smile, the dusky blush high on his cheek bones as his bangs obscured the glint in his eye – Leon had stored that moment away, catalogued it for his own personal memories, so rare was the occasion when Cloud smiled like that; smiled like that because of Leon.

 _Pathetic…_ Sephiroth had found amusement in it. His soft chuckle of derision floating across Leon's mind as he felt instant shame. _I wonder… will he ever look at you like that again?_

Leon couldn't even close his eyes to escape the onslaught of the image being contorted. Cloud's face manipulated into a look of disgust and anger, the betrayal so obvious; Leon heard himself quietly sobbing.

 _He will be so disappointed in you…_

"Shut up. J-just... s-shut up!" Leon moaned out into the nothingness around him. "You've already won. I did what you wanted… why are you doing this?"

A few seconds of ominous silence before that silken laughter came floating through to him on the fading images of Cloud's disgusted face.

 _Foolish boy._ Sephiroth chided, _This was never about_ you.

And through his pain and torment, a piece of clarity hit Leon so hard it was like being violated all over again. When had he forgotten that Sephiroth had never really been his enemy?

"Cloud!" He whimpered, suddenly afraid. Incredulous that he could have forgotten the danger so easily.

 _He's coming for you… he will be here soon. Are you ready to face him?_

Cloud was walking into a trap. A trap Leon had helped create.

"Cloud, don't… please, don't." Leon tried struggling, but he was only able to offer a weak kick of his good leg, before exhaustion took him again and he was forced to continue floating on that strange, hazy fog of pain, and Sephiroth spoke again, one last time:

 _He's almost here…_

* * *

The underworld was as dark and barren as Cloud remembered it. No light, no warmth, no shadows and no wind stirred. Just an unsettling greyish fog that permeated everything, and Cloud found himself wondering in it aimlessly.

"Hades!" He called, knowing the God would know he was here. Hades would have sensed his arrival the moment he'd stretched out his hand to Darkness and crossed over the threshold. The fact that he had not immediately shown up meant that he was toying with Cloud. "I know you're here, Hades. Show yourself!"

A flickering of blue flame appeared in the corner of Cloud's vision and he turned just as the fog parted and swirled into the shape of a robed man.

His hair was blue flame and his skin was pallid like death, and he smiled darkly at Cloud as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, Cloudy-boy. Long time no see. I was beginning to think it was something I'd said."

"I'm not here to play games. Where's Sephiroth?" Cloud's voice was firm, though in the back of his mind that dark tendril of power began to whisper.

"Always so direct," Hades tutted, rolling his eyes. "You never want to make small talk with me, Cloudy, you know how that hurts my feelings?"

"I don't have time for small talk. Sephiroth took somebody into the Shadow World. I need in."

"He took _somebody_ huh?" That spark of curiosity lit up in Hades eyes as he stroked his chin with a wicked smile. "Anybody I'd know? Or is this more of a _personal_ call?"

"I know you can get me in. Will you help me or not?"

Hades sucked the dead air between his teeth and pinched his brows. "Ooooh now, you and I both know I don't really _do_ helping. Its not my kind of thing, you understand, right? A God's gotta make a living somehow, and you know as well as I do there's a price for something like this. A person doesn't just go walking into the Shadow World without some kind of an invite. Catching my drift here Cloudy-boy?" Hades sidled up to Cloud, slipping his arm around his shoulders. "And after that little stunt you pulled with the Keyblade wielder, I'd say you owe me more than just a favour."

Cloud shrugged the arm off, stepping out of Hades' reach and levelled him with a glare.

"What do you want?"

"Oh so many things." Hades laughed "But… I'd be willing to settle for a little _muscle_." Eyebrows raised suggestively, Hades gripped Cloud around the wrist, lifting his arm out to the side as if to inspect his bicep. "You know, I always did admire the way you fight. So hack and slash, ya know? Not a lot of finesse there but you got raw power and that's where it counts."

"Just cut to the case, Hades." Cloud pulled his arm away, keeping the God in his line of sight as he seemed to dance around him, making a show of thinking hard about his next words.

"There's a tournament coming up. Big one. Lots of fancy names are gonna be there. You know I've always been a fan of the games, don't you?"

"So you want me to fight for you again, is that it?" Cloud had to be careful here. The last time he'd made a deal like this one with Hades, he'd been bound to his service and infused with Darkness. He'd only ever managed to escape one of those. The other he was still cursed to live with.

"Bingo!" Hades snapped his finger and pointed it at Cloud.

"What are the terms?"

"Simple, you fight for me, make it through to the final, winner takes all, blah blah blah. You've fought in a tournament before Cloudy, you know how this goes."

"No, I mean, what's in it for you?" Cloud crossed his arms over his chest.

"Did I mention there was a certain Demi-God also competing in this little game? It doesn't feel like the kinda thing that would normally slip my mind, but I just can't tell, I'm all over the place these days, really, I'm a mess."

Cloud sighed. "You want me to try and kill Hercules again, right?" That plan hadn't gone over well the first time. Cloud wondered why Hades even bothered trying any more.

"Hercules?" Hades laughed unconvincingly, "That old _has been_. Who said anything about Hercules? Why, did he say he was taking part?"

"Cut the act, Hades. You want me to do this or not?" Cloud held out his hand, ready to accept the agreement. He was wasting too much time here as it was. Hades had what he needed. He'd agree to anything – _do_ anything – if it meant passage into the Shadow World. He'd deal with Hades' little feud later.

"Only if you're sure now, Cloudy. I don't want any complaining. Not like last time."

"One tournament. I kill Hercules," _or try to,_ Cloud added in the quiet of his own mind. Even he wasn't stupid enough to think he could take on a Demi-God, and certainly not one like Hercules, for a chump like Hades. "Once it's over, regardless of the outcome, I'm free to go."

"And for your troubles, one return pass to the Shadow World, _with_ complimentary plus one." Hades replied, slipping his hand into Cloud's outstretched palm. They shook once, and on parting, a swirling portal opened up behind the God, the grey mist parting to reveal a barren rocky world beyond.

"I'd say have a nice trip, but sheesh, have you seen the weather down there?"

Cloud ignored the quip, stepping up close to the threshold and stopped as that tendril of magic brushed over his skin, followed by a voice as clear as if Leon had been stood next to him. In fact, Cloud had to look behind him to make sure he wasn't.

 _Cloud, don't… please don't…_

The sound echoed away as quickly as it came and it passed over Cloud so smoothly it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Sounds like he's waiting for you." Hades said smugly.

"Yeah," Cloud nodded, swallowing thickly, knowing that Leon wouldn't be the only one. He pulled First Tsurugi from its sheath at his back, and stepped into the void.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2/2**

* * *

A ragged wind whipped at Cloud's clothes as he stepped into the Shadow World and the portal closed behind him. Everything was silent and grey, the bare rock beneath his feet coarse with dusty gravel, and the ominous sky above was dark with rolling clouds. Lightning flashed in the distance but carried no thunder with it, and for a moment, Cloud began to worry that he had lost his hearing. Tightening his grip around the hilt of First Tsurugi he grit his teeth and called out.

"Sephiroth!" The sound was flat and muted, but loud in Cloud's ears, and he turned on his heels to scan the far horizon, seeing nothing but miles and miles of empty barren wasteland.

A chuckle rose up on the wind, deep and earthy and rich with dark satisfaction, and Cloud recognised it immediately. He lifted his blade, settling into a fighting stance, shoulders tensed and the muscles in his thighs poised for action when the sound of the laughter drifted away, only for it to be replaced with a low, drawn out moan of pain.

It started quietly, rising to its peak over Cloud's head as he continued to turn slow circles in the dust, and was followed by a desperate plea, the strained and frightened voice so familiar to Cloud, that he almost dropped his guard. Cloud lowered the tip of his sword a fraction, his scowl softening as he listened to the voice on the wind and recognised his name amongst the breathy, feathery cries of anguish.

"Leon!" Cloud called, his throat suddenly tight.

The reedy whispers began to grow in volume and tempo, coming from everywhere at once as they assaulted Cloud from all sides, the warrior turning his head left and then right as he tried to pinpoint the source of the distress.

"Leon!" Cloud called again, louder, a touch of panic beginning to colour his tone as he fought the urge to drop his sword and cover his ears.

The terrible din peaked with a shrill scream that cut straight through Cloud's mind, flashing lights dancing behind his eyes as pain erupted in his temples, and Cloud let go of his his weapon and dropped to his knees, pushing his hands into his hair, pressing them to his skull to alleviate the pressure, his eyes screwed shut in agony as a cry of pain escaped his own lips just as the scream on the wind died away, leaving him panting and shaking with residual tremors.

He felt weak and disorientated, gasping through the adrenaline that still coursed through his veins, and with a groan of effort, Cloud reached a shaking hand out and grasped for the hilt of his sword, his head snapping up as that soft, menacing chuckle carried to him again over the thick silence.

Sephiroth stood in the great, empty expanse; a single solitary figure draped in shades of silver and black, Masamune shining long and deadly in his hand, waiting for Cloud.

"You are," Sephiroth began, a small, pleased smile tugging at his lips, "So predictable."

Cloud grit his teeth, shaking off the weariness that had temporarily atrophied his limbs and climbed to his feet.

"Where is he?" He growled, gripping his giant sword in front of him, dropping easily back into his fighting stance.

"He is close." Sephiroth answered, his gaze travelling the length of Cloud's body. "We have enjoyed our time together. I understand now why you chose him."

Cloud's scowl deepened, his grip tightening on his sword. "Show him to me."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, a mockery of authentic wounded pride. "You don't trust me?"

"I'd have to be a fool to trust you," Cloud sneered, his top lip curling. "Hand him over and we can settle this once and for all."

Sephiroth did laugh then. A genuine sound of amusement. "Once and for all?" He mocked. "Oh, Cloud. You should know better than anyone there is no 'once and or all'. _This_ ," he gestured between them, "This never ends. So long as you resist the Darkness you will never be rid of me. So long as you have people you care for, you will always be _weak_."

"I've killed you more than once before, I can do it again." Cloud reminded him, letting the sting of guilt pass over him for now.

"And for how long do you intend to keep on fighting? How many more people will you let suffer because of your stubbornness?"

Cloud grit his teeth harder, his jaw aching from the pressure, but he refused to give in to the guilt Sephiroth's words caused. He had fought too hard, and battled against his own mind too many times to be sucked back under by a few well chosen words.

"As long as it takes." He replied firmly, piercing Sephiroth with a fierce glare.

The winged man smiled. A small, almost private smile of mirth as he stared straight back. "I wonder," he began, his voice smooth like silk, "Would your friends be so willing to pay the price with you? Would Squall? I will admit, he was much more resilient than I'd anticipated. I expected him to break far sooner than he did."

Cloud felt his throat close over, and the retort that had been sat on the tip of his tongue die away.

"But for all of his talk, he crumbled anyway. Your _light._ " Sephiroth mocked, sneering the word. "Entrusted to the fragile strength of a man who has so much darkness of his own. Foolish boy!"

Cloud pulled in a shuddering breath and managed to clear the choke hold in his throat. "What have you done to him?" He growled knowing he shouldn't ask. He couldn't afford the distraction.

"I have shown him who he really is." Sephiroth lifted his blade a touch and stepped a little closer, Cloud raised his own sword in answer, firming his stance. "And like so many faced with their true self, he did not like what he saw."

"You mean you twisted the truth? Made him believe what you wanted him to believe? I know Leon, and there's nothing you can say that can change the way I feel about him."

"What about the way he feels for you?" Sephiroth asked, watching the way his words took Cloud off guard. "All this pain and doubt… all for you. Will you still be so certain of the strength of his feelings when he blames you for his anguish?"

Cloud frowned and hesitated, his gaze slipping to the rocky ground as his thoughts were side tracked.

"I understand, it will be hard to let him go. He is a very _receptive_ lover."

Cloud's gaze flicked back to Sephiroth, his eyes growing wide as his words settled; Cloud felt like he had been winded.

"What did you just say?" He threatened lowly.

"You've been very fortunate to have him; he makes the most beautiful sounds. All he needed was a little… persuading."

Rage swelled so fast within Cloud he barely noticed the moment it sprang free, releasing the tension from his limbs like a hairpin trigger. He charged forwards with an enraged cry, lifting his sword above his head as he jumped at the last second, ready to bring the impossible weight down on Sephiroth's head, when he was met with a blast of energy and white hot light. It threw him backwards and he landed with a heavy thump in a cloud of dust. Rolling quickly, he narrowly missed the slash of Masamune as it sent sparks up from the rocky ground, and he sprang to his feet, bringing his sword up to block Sephiroth as he stepped into his inner circle.

"It's too late, Cloud. You've failed him." He taunted over the cross of their blades, watching how Cloud's pupils dilated, the green around the iris' flaring with anger.

"Go to hell!" Cloud bit back, shoving against his blade, knocking the taller man back a few steps before he aimed a few well placed hits at Sephiroth's flank.

Masamune deflected them all, Sephiroth's arm moving so quickly Cloud could hardly keep up and he jumped back to give himself more swinging space.

Sephiroth disappeared, vanishing with a shimmering pop, only to reappear above Cloud's head, hanging in the sky as his large black wing swooped lazily and Cloud jumped, rushing up to meet him in a clash of steel as Sephiroth parried his blow, sending sparks out to fall onto the dusty ground. They span in the air for a few revolutions, before springing apart, falling to the earth with a heavy thump of boots and then Sephiroth was charging him again, the blows coming swiftly and mercilessly as he pushed Cloud back and back, getting closer to slipping past his guard as Cloud struggled to keep up.

Cloud felt the energy build, and he released Cross-Slash with a cry of anger, forcing Sephiroth to stagger backwards as Masamune slipped and the blows struck his across the chest.

Sephiroth disappeared, the momentum of Cloud's blows bowling him forward into thin air as his rival reappeared a few feet away, the slashes across his flesh closing over under the glow of healing magic.

"Would you like me to tell you how he suffered, Cloud?" Sephiroth mocked, beckoning him to attack again with a curl of his fingers.

Cloud roared in anger, charging forwards again as Sephiroth vanished and appeared behind him, bringing Masamune down across his back in quick, slicing strokes, making Cloud collapse forwards and fall to his knees. He rolled away and sprang to his feet, staggering at the pain, feeling the flare of Climhazzard burning under his skin as the limit break crackled along his blade. The moment he sprang forwards, he saw Sephiroth lift his own sword, the momentum of Cloud's leap bringing him down onto its point as Masamune entered his shoulder, leaving his hung, suspended in mid air, dangling like a squirming worm. The limit break faded into nothing, the latent energy still burning through Cloud's muscles.

"He refused to call for you, you should know that." Sephiroth smiled, watching Cloud's struggles with rapt fascination. "His stubbornness was admirable, but it only added to his suffering in the end."

Cloud grit his teeth, pulling his blade up in front of him and he dislodged one or the smaller swords with a satisfying click. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he swung his arm up, slicing through Masamune with the blade, cutting the tip off of Sephiroth's sword, freeing himself, dropping the few feet to the ground with a grunt of pain. Gripping the shattered remains of the sword, he puled the tip out of his shoulder.

Sephiroth's smirk turned to deadly menace, his eyes glowing with anger as he charged forwards, catching Cloud unprepared as he battered him back with savage blows across his body, the ruined tip of Masamune catching his arms and unprotected side, ripping the material of his sweater and slicing the skin.

Cloud fell backwards, rolling over onto his good shoulder and away from Sephiroth's reach, turning sharply he didn't stop, and ran straight back into his circle, the length of Masamune now shorter but no less deadly. Throwing the shorter blade upwards, he blocked Sephiroth's downwards stroke and brought the rest of First Tsurugi up, impaling Sephiroth through his middle with a cry of effort, releasing the latent energy of his last aborted limit break, and let Climhazzard go.

Cloud watched the shock widen Sephiroth's eyes as the powerful blow took effect, before he pushed off the ground and ripped his sword the rest of the way through Sephiroth's body, leaping into the air and away from the carnage below him.

He landed a few feet just outside of Masamune's reach, and watched as Sephiroth staggered and gasped, the solidity of his body already beginning to fade back into the Darkness.

"He will… never be… the same, Cloud." Sephiroth gasped, managing a small sadistic smile even as he disappeared. "I will… return."

Cloud lifted his sword and pointed it at Sephiroth. "I'll be waiting." He promised, heart hammering in his chest.

The moment Sephiroth faded from sight, his presence completely disappeared from the Shadow World, Cloud collapsed to his knees, hissing out the pain of his injured shoulder and ribs. He sat there, slumped forwards, breathing heavily for long moments, and allowed the relief to surge through him.

Winded, sweating and panting, Cloud finally staggered to his feet, leaning heavily against First Tsurugi as he clutched to the gash at his side. Wiping the perspiration from his brow, he turned around, looking out at the grey horizon and the nothingness all around him.

"Leon!" He cried, this time, his voice carrying across the desolate landscape. It echoed to silence, and nothing responded. He called again. "Leon!"

Out in the distance, a shimmering mirage appeared. On the deceptive plane it was difficult to tell how far away it was, but Cloud immediately began to run towards it. Growing nearer, he could see that it was a small rocky rise, with tall pillars of stone mounted around it, and long swathes of billowing curtains draped the spaces between.

Picking up speed, Cloud rushed up the small incline, sheathing his blade as he reached the top and with a jagged breath in he tore the curtain away, his gaze immediately falling on the bed and the grey, lifeless figure sprawled out amongst the sheets.

His pounding heart stilled and Cloud's blue eyes grew wide; his mouth hung open in a soundless gasp as he looked at Leon. Letting go of the curtain, he stepped forwards, not too certain that his legs would carry his weight, and he let out the breath he had been holding in in a long and ragged exhale.

Leon was not moving. What skin had not been marked by a blade or bruised by forceful hands was greyish and sallow, and everywhere was spattered with blood. He lay on his side, arms slung up above his head, wrapped in chains, tangled hair obscuring his face, and his chest moved with small, barely perceptible flutters of breath.

"No." Cloud heard himself moan as he stumbled a little closer. He couldn't make himself move. His eyes tracked the obvious scene of Leon's torture again and again, details imprinting themselves onto Cloud's memory in vivid colours.

The small groan of pain snapped him from his trance, and in a moment, Cloud was by Leon's side, the bed dipping under his weight as he knelt beside him and placed a shaking hand on his head, gently brushing the tangled bangs away from his battered face.

Leon's eyes were closed and he didn't stir, but Cloud called to him regardless.

"Lee?" He spoke softly, thumb ghosting his temple. He didn't move.

Swallowing past a tight knot in his throat, Cloud reached up and unfastened the chains, metal clanking against the headboard as he gently lifted Leon's head to release his neck, feeling fury bubbling underneath the numbness at the bruises it had left behind.

Freed from his bonds, Cloud gathered him up, wrapping him in the ruined sheet, and lifted him into his trembling arms, quietly shushing him as he let out a small groan of pain. Quickly, he turned and walked back down the rise and out onto the empty wasteland.

The portal was waiting for them, and he hurried towards it, cradling Leon closer to his chest as the Shadow World disappeared behind them.

* * *

Aerith descended the stairs slowly, wiping her hands on a blood stained rag, each foot fall heavy with fatigue as she emerged into the silent and dimly lit kitchen. The clock ticked, and water dripped from the tap over the sink, and Cloud sat alone at the table, still covered in dust and grime and the blood of his battle, though some of it probably belonged to Leon, she thought darkly. He was staring blankly at the table, faced pale and devoid of any emotion, his eyes glazed with private thoughts, and he did not look up as she entered.

Carefully and deliberately, she walked to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder, startling him from his revere as he jolted upright a little.

"Let me look at this." She said softly, pulling apart the ruined sweater to reveal the sword wound on his shoulder.

Cloud barely noticed it, but he let her. Aerith retrieved her first aid kit in silence and settled down to work, keeping a careful watch on Cloud out of the corner of her eye.

"How is he?" He finally asked when she was almost done.

"He's not good." Aerith replied, snipping the thread with a small pair of scissors. "You should go to him."

Cloud nodded his head distractedly, the silence filled with the question he so desperately wanted to ask but didn't have the courage to.

"His injuries," Aerith began, sensing his distress and taking pity on him, "They happened in the Shadow World. I can't heal them with magic." She told him, knowing the implications of her words would settle very quickly. "They'll have to heal naturally, if they heal at all."

Cloud swallowed hard, forcing himself to ask the question he didn't want to know the answer to.

"Will he make it?"

Aerith looked at him forlornly, her shimmering green eyes so impossibly large and round, and she shook her head. "I don't know." She watched Cloud take her words in, the implications slowly sinking in through the fatigue and the heartache, and with a small nod of his head he lifted himself out of his chair and started towards the stairs.

"I'm going to sit with him. You should go home and get some rest." He said, placing his hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly, silently thanking her.

Aerith reached up and patted his hand, debating whether to forego the walk home and sleep on the couch instead. "I think I might stay here. In case you both need me." She told him, watching as he slowly trudged up stairs.

Their bedroom was quiet and dark, the light from the single bedside lamp shining a soft and gentle glow over the figure lying still and peacefully beneath the clean sheets, and Cloud felt disquiet in his heart at how out of place Leon looked in such familiar surroundings.

Aerith had done all she could, and it was an improvement on how Cloud had found him; his face, although still bruised and scuffed, was clean and peaceful, the wounds that littered his body dressed with clean, white bandages; both hands were wrapped up tightly, resting over his chest that laboured in and out, slowly but steadily.

Cloud removed his boots and gloves, and peeled off the ruined sweater. He disappeared into the bathroom and cleaned himself quickly, slapping on a few adhesive bandages to his own superficial wounds and returned to the bedroom, pulling on an old pair of sweatpants and one of Leon's T-shirts. Carefully, he reached down and lifted Leon forwards, slipping in behind him, and rested him against his chest, adjusting the pillows to cushion him against the headboard, and wrapped his arms around the older man.

Cloud sat with him like that all night, pressing the damp cloth Aerith had left against his forehead when his fever rose, and ran comforting fingers through his tangled hair when those same fever dreams tore uncomfortable moans from his ragged throat. He sat with him, and felt all of the flinches and shudders as Leon fought with his body to heal the damage that should have killed him, and Cloud prayed wouldn't. He hadn't expected Leon to wake so soon, but by the time morning arose, he stirred from a troubled sleep to find Leon awakening, his breathing growing deeper as he groaned and finally fluttered his eyes open.

"Lee?" Cloud whispered after a few moments of silence. He ran his hand down Leon's arm and squeezed his fingers slightly, a small reassurance that Cloud was there behind him. From his angle, he couldn't really see Leon's face, but he felt the older man try to clear his throat, and he wiggled his fingers minutely, returning Cloud's signal.

"It's alright, I've got you." Cloud told him, running his other hand through Leon's hair soothingly. He felt Leon struggling to talk, the strain on his throat obvious as he turned into Cloud's touch ever so subtly.

"W… where… w-where am I?" He finally managed, his voice so hoarse Cloud hardly recognised it.

"You're home."

There was a long pause as Leon worked up the energy to speak again, the silence littered with small coughs and mewls of effort.

"W-where's S… S-seph-" he began, Cloud cutting him off as soon as he realised what he meant to say.

"He's gone. I took care of it, I promise." Cloud replied, pressing his cheek to the crown of Leon's head as he closed his eyes and attempted to control the sudden swell of rage. There was nowhere to direct it; Sephiroth was gone – for now at least.

More heavy silence followed as Cloud forced himself to relax and breathe in the stillness of the room, registering Leon's every small breath and muscle twitch, reminding himself that he was still alive – still with him – no matter how broken and injured. He wasn't expecting Leon to say anything else. He'd thought he had fallen asleep again.

"How… how did you find me?"

Cloud opened his eyes, the question pulling the most basic of emotions from him as he answered as honestly as he could.

"You're my light. I'd be able to find you anywhere."

He heard Leon breath out slowly and steadily: an almost sigh.

"Y-you know... what happened? W...what I did?"

The question had Cloud's eyes growing wide with understanding, his mouth turned down in painful mourning at the implications. He pressed his cheek to the side of Leon's face, screwing his eyes shut.

"I know what he _made_ you do." He replied, voice low and gritty, impressing the word on Leon as much as he could. He felt Leon convulse a little, as if holding back a cough or a hiccup, and then moments later felt a warm dampness against his cheek.

"I-I'm sorry." Leon replied in a broken whisper, the fingers still entwined with Cloud's stiffening and squeezing as much as the broken bones in his hands would allow; a subtle affection that had always been Leon's way of apologising, back when neither of them had very much to be sorry for.

"Don't say that," Cloud ground out from behind clenched teeth. "This isn't your fault."

 _I'm the one that should be sorry._

When he didn't answer, Cloud felt compelled to continue.

"This is what he does. He messes with your head. Don't let him do this to you, Leon."

"It's not… that simple any more." Leon rasped, clearly beyond his limit as he drifted on the cusp of sleep once again. "If you knew… what I've done..." He trailed off, voice growing weaker.

"I don't care." Cloud replied firmly, letting go of Leon's hand and crossed his arm over his chest instead, wrapping him up as tightly as he dared. "You know how I feel about you. Nothings changed."

Leon didn't reply and Cloud let him fall back into sleep, hoping that it would be dreamless and peaceful, and tried not to succumb to the raging, swelling Darkness that stirred inside him as Leon's words repeated themselves in his mind. He couldn't let it in, not after everything. It would be like letting Sephiroth win, despite all of Cloud's efforts and Leon's sacrifice.

Cloud bit the inside of his cheek and focused on the pain, using it to push away the tempting whispers as he slowly breathed his way back to peace, and tried to get some sleep of his own.

* * *

Leon stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection. It had taken him six weeks to make the short distance from his bed to the bathroom, his strength returning to him in painfully slow inclines, and he still had to use a crutch for walking. It rested by the sink, propped up next to a small mountain of painkillers and tablets. The pain in his leg had never really left him, and Leon was beginning to wonder if it ever would.

His eyes travelled the mangled mess of his torso; traced the angry, puckered outlines of scars still fresh but fading, and finally, settled on his face. He could never look at that for too long, and he averted his gaze, reaching out a stiff hand to pick up the shirt that hung on the rack. He fumbled with it for a moment, struggling to find the hem, his clumsy, awkward fingers refusing to cooperate with him.

He'd lost all feeling in the last three digits of his left hand, and the thumb on his right still refused to bend. The thick scars down the centre of his palms prevented him from closing them into fists and they ached constantly and spasmed often as he tried to force the dexterity back into them. All of those fine motor skills he'd taken for granted before now lost to him. He'd had to relearn how to hold a pen, a knife and fork, even tie his own Hyne damned shoelaces. He hadn't even looked at his Gunblade. Couldn't bring himself to even open the case.

He felt eyes on him and turned to see Cloud in the doorway, watching him silently, and Leon felt his cheeks heat with now familiar embarrassment.

"Here, let me help." Cloud said quietly, stepping into the bathroom and plucking the shirt from Leon's hands. He found the opening quickly and guided it over Leon's head, helping him into the garment in fractious silence. Helping him tuck the shirt in, however, was a step too far, and Leon exhaled loudly, brushing Cloud's hands away.

"I can do it." He bristled, wincing at the pain in his hands even as he said it.

Cloud backed off, biting his tongue as he watched Leon struggle in silence, his eyes narrowing as he watched Leon's fingers tremble and jerk in small painful spasms. He'd never let on how much it hurt him to see Leon out of breath and exhausted just from getting dressed, but he doubted it hurt him more than it hurt Leon.

"They still giving you trouble?" He asked as he caught one of Leon's hands, meaning to massage the palm slightly and ease the painful knots. Leon snatched it back, ducking his head, his bangs obscuring his face as he turned to pick up his crutch.

"No more than usual." He muttered.

Cloud bit the inside of his cheek and tried his best to ignore the small sting of rejection.

"I'm taking off for a few days." He said, changing the subject. "Got some business to take care of on Olympus." He hadn't forgotten his deal with Hades. Keeping details from Leon wouldn't be too tricky; they barely spoke any more.

"Fine." Leon answered, hobbling past Cloud out into the hallway and back into the bedroom – now just Leon's room. Cloud had been relegated to the spare bedroom some weeks ago, a defining moment in their relationship which had begun to solidify the widening chasm that had opened up between them in the days after Leon's rescue. Cloud had relented of course, but the inertia behind Leon's decision spoke volumes.

"Should be back in two or three days." Cloud added, watching as Leon stiffly lowered himself onto the chair in front of his desk, blueprints and schematics for half finished projects that he might now never be able to complete scattered across the top.

"Whatever." Leon mumbled, rubbing at his thigh distractedly, his back to the door.

Cloud frowned down at the floor, lips pinched in silent frustration, and he slowly nodded his head. Pushing off the door frame, he quietly collected his things and left without saying goodbye.

Leon heard the back door close and he breathed a sigh of relief. The constant feeling of anxiety when Cloud was around him was exhausting and he hated it. Those already broken eggshells he walked on were a constant reminder that something irreversible had happened, something neither of them knew how to fix, and the confusing feelings of anger and guilt were draining what little energy Leon had.

 _You've failed him…_ Sephiroth's words came back to him more and more often, those flashes of memory disturbing even his waking hours as he closed his eyes and tried to control the sudden onset of panic, despite the tranquillity of the silent house.

 _It's over, he's gone._ Leon told himself, clenching his jaw as the swelling emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

 _Have you ever wondered what true betrayal tastes like?…_ The memory made Leon gag, his hand moving to cover his mouth as he sat forward in his chair, perspiration beginning to shine on his forehead as his heart pounded in his chest. It took him a long while to work through it, but eventually the panic subsided, the sweat on his skin cooled, and the acrid taste on the back of his tongue mellowed, leaving Leon hollow and tired, his arms and legs heavy, and the aches and pains in his body echoing a thousand times louder. For a moment, he considered going back to bed, but his dignity refused to allow him. He wasn't a cripple. He wasn't infirm.

Instead he sat staring at the papers on his desk, half finished and untouched, the monumental task of picking up a pencil and resuming his work comparable to the thought of picking up his Gunblade again; despite his refusal to admit that he was injured, he'd never felt more useless in his life.

 _This is what he does. He messes with your head._ Cloud had told him more than once. Hyne, he'd got that right. Leon had never really been overly confident with his own convictions when it came to Cloud. Too many doubts, too many failed attempts. Sephiroth had known exactly which fears to fan; which insecurities to prod. But hadn't everything he'd said been true?

 _You know how I feel about you._ Cloud had told him. _Nothings changed._

Except that everything had. Leon's own fierce loyalty and devotion would always stand, he couldn't expunge those parts of himself so readily, but things _were_ different now.

Cloud needed light. He needed strength and courage and someone who could withstand all the Darkness that his own shadowed past brought with it. Leon had tried, he truly had. But his feelings for his lover would never been enough. Not on their own. It would hurt him a thousand times more than Sephiroth possibly could, but Leon knew, in the quietest, most private parts of his heart, that he would have to let Cloud go. Wasn't that what you were supposed to do, when you cared for someone?

 _You know how I feel about you, too._ Leon thought, pressing his fingers to his tired eyes. _At least, I hope you do. Its why I can't do this... For both our sakes._

Leon sighed heavily and brushed away the dampness on his lashes. Giving in to his weakened body, he stumbled back to the bed and lay down, quickly falling into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you up and about today." Aerith greeted Leon cheerfully as she breezed into his kitchen, bag of groceries in her arms. She set them on the counter and watched Leon's back with pointed interest.

Leon hummed a non-committal response, stirring the spoon in his mug slowly. "I made coffee." He added, ashamed to say that it was something he should be proud of.

"I just stopped by with some things for dinner. I know Cloud is out of town for a few days and I thought you might need the help."

"I'm fine." Leon replied, offering her a cup. Aerith took it, frowning a little at Leon's obviously sullen mood. Not that she could hold it against him.

"I know you are. But I thought you'd want something other than your own cooking. It is notoriously bad, you know." Aerith smiled, trying to lighten the tension.

"Cloud left meals." Leon replied pointing to the fridge as he hobbled over to the table and sat down.

Aerith tapped her fingers on he counter top, a long pause extending between them as she watched Leon silently drink his coffee.

"Is everything alright?" She asked gently. "Between you and Cloud, I mean? Its just, things have seemed a little off these last few weeks. More than expected, given the circumstances." She amended when she saw the sceptical look on Leon's face.

"Everything's fine." Leon lied, feeling awful even as he said it. A fleeting look of pain flashed in his eyes and Aerith recognised it immediately. She pulled the chair out next to Leon and sat down.

"Are you upset with him?" She asked, reaching out a hand to cover his fingers curled around his mug. "About fighting in the tournament for Hades again?" She was certain she was on the right track.

Leon's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up through choppy bangs with wide eyes.

"What?" He asked, brows slowly drawing down into a troubled frown.

"Cloud's gone back to the tournaments. He made a deal with Hades, when he was looking for you. Didn't he tell you?" Aerith's surety was slowly melting as she realised Leon hadn't got a clue what she was talking about.

"No." Leon replied, his thoughts drifting away to all those days and weeks after he had woken up; countless hours of tedious recovery, Cloud's nervous, awkward ministrations as he'd hovered close by, helping him eat and drink and wash and piss. Not once! He'd never said a damned word. Hadn't he asked him? Hadn't he asked him how he'd found him?

 _You're my light… I'd have been able to find you anywhere._

"He's using Darkness again?" Leon asked, his tone low and angry. Aerith pulled her hand back, suddenly regretting opening her mouth.

"I don't know." She answered honestly.

Leon couldn't help it, he felt the betrayal first before he felt the concern. After everything he'd been through, after everything that had happened, Cloud was going back to the Darkness?

 _This is your fault. You failed him, remember? You were the one that pushed him away._ His treacherous mind whispered. Suddenly, just like that, it was guilt eclipsing everything as he realised he'd left Cloud exposed and in danger. He stood up as quickly as his leg would allow, and picked up his crutch, hobbling to the back door as he grabbed his coat off the hook.

"Where are you going?" Aerith asked, her chair squeaking loudly on the wooden floor as she stood up.

"I have to go. I have to find him." Leon shot back over his shoulder, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Leon landed the gummi ship in a haphazard manner, already too exhausted to fight with the controls much and hurriedly clambered off the gangway and into the jostling crowd. It was hard keeping up with the pace of the people that walked beside him, his crutch getting knocked and his aching hand struggled to hold onto the grip, but he fought his way towards the Colosseum, giving himself a moment to rest by the toll gate. He felt oddly exposed without the reassuring weight of his Gunblade at his hip, but there was no way he could have managed the heavy sword. It would have crippled him in just a few short yards.

The games had already been going on for a day and a half, and spectators were filing in and out in thick swathes, meandering between levels as they queued for food and drink and merchandise.

Leon pushed his way through, looking for the entrance to the hypogeum and huffed his way down in to the darker, cooler lower levels.

The high vaulted brickwork was dusty and cracked, the shifting sands of the arena above sifting down through the boards leaving a fine haze in the gloomy atmosphere, dust motes dancing on the beams of light cast by the flickering torches in the sconces on the walls.

Leon was finding it hard to breathe. Whether it was the close, cloying darkness or the fatigue that was quickly creeping up on him, he didn't know. But he felt winded and thin, stretched beyond what his fragile body could accomplish in its healing state.

He sensed the tell-tale pull of Darkness wafting down the echoing corridors long before he saw the shadowy figure, and he sped up, gritting his teeth against the screaming agony in his leg and hand.

"Cloud," He called, watching as the figure slowed and then turned, stopping completely when Cloud recognised him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"You shouldn't be here." Cloud replied tersely, walking back to meet him. Not even hiding the fact that his wing hung out behind him like an overbearing shadow.

"Don't give me that bullshit, you're not my mother. Answer me: what are you doing here?" Leon bit back, eyeing the appendage, struggling not to recoil at the familiar taste of Darkness in the air; struggled to hold back the memories it was creating.

"Keeping a promise. I made a deal with Hades." Cloud's gaze travelled Leon up and down, a hint of worry glinting in his eye when he saw the fatigue and pain on Leon's face.

"And what about the promise you made to _me_?"

Cloud's gaze snapped back to Leon's eyes, wounded anger flaring in them as he recalled that conversation, many months ago, back before either of them had been tested by Sephiroth's cruelty.

"That's not fair, Leon." He said, remembering how desperate he'd been.

"Fuck 'fair'" Leon hissed "You think its fair I have to watch you succumb to Darkness again? Because of me? Because of what happened to me?"

"I'm doing this _for_ you." Cloud briefly wondered how they'd got here, after so many weeks of not talking, suddenly Leon was bombarding him with all of this, now?

"Well, I don't want you to. This isn't what we agreed, Cloud. You promised you'd never use your Darkness again, you promised you were done with Hades." Leon cut his hand diagonally, the motion making him wobble slightly on his good leg "You can't sacrifice everything you've fought for, not even for me."

Cloud scoffed. "So you're the only one who can make sacrifices now?"

His words seemed to catch Leon off guard, and he floundered for a reply, his thoughts disappearing back into terrifying, murky places as the tendrils of Cloud's Darkness grew; growing on the spiking anger that was swirling between them.

"That was different." He eventually replied, voice a little distracted. "I didn't… I had no choice."

"Neither did I!" Cloud shot back, angry that Leon was here to chastise him. For something he had done to protect _him._ "I needed a way into the Shadow World. Hades gave me one. If this is what I have to do to pay him back then so be it. You really think there was anything more important to me than finding you?"

Leon swallowed thickly and looked away, his boiling anger melting away, giving way to the slithering guilt that ate at all of his confidence.

"You shouldn't have..." He began, meaning to tell Cloud that he shouldn't have bothered, shouldn't have put himself at risk like that. Not for him. Not when he'd betrayed him like he had.

 _This pain can be over… all you have to do is call to him…_ Leon felt himself stagger, that flash of memory throwing him off balance. A firm hand around his arm stopped him from falling too far and he looked down to see Cloud gripping his bicep.

"I know what you're going through." He heard Cloud say, quietly, the younger man closer than he had been. "I know the kind of mess he leaves in your head. Believe me, I _know_."

Leon tried to shake the disorientation away, a pressure building up in the back of his mind.

"I won't let you use Darkness again. Hades won't stop with just this one time, you know he won't." He said, looking up at Cloud through thick lashes.

"I don't have any other choice. I made a deal."

"You always have a choice. That's what this whole thing has been about. You _choosing_ light. You don't have to give in to it, Cloud."

 _You're my light… I could have found you anywhere._ Leon recalled those words, holding on to them as he tried to make Cloud understand."You came to find me, because everything we've accomplished together was worth defending. Don't throw it away."

"You really believe that?" Cloud asked sincerely, though that hard edge to his voice had still not disappeared. "Is that why you've been pushing me away?"

Leon couldn't ignore the painful pang in his chest. Even the very thought – the very mention – of losing Cloud hurt him.

"That's different." He shook his head, steeling himself, "I can still believe in you even if we're not together."

Cloud shook his arm hard, "I don't _want_ anybody else!" He growled, feeling the panic rising in him as Leon started to pull away.

 _You've failed him… your place is to be forgotten… You're nothing but a lonely, cold, insufferable boy who can never be close to anyone…_ The Darkness swelled and Leon recoiled, stumbling backwards until his shoulder hit the wall, his fatigue and pain crashing down on him all at once as he slid down the brickwork, panting heavily against the onslaught of images as they bombarded him.

"Leon!" Cloud cried, alarmed at his sudden collapse. He knelt beside him, hand on his shoulder as he shook him back from the brink of unconsciousness.

Leon's eyes flickered open, his mind suddenly blank and free of the sinister whispers, and he looked over Cloud's shoulder to see the darkness shifting into the shape of a man.

"Well now, Cloudy-boy, don't tell me you're getting cold feet?" Hades spoke, breaking the silence in a rush of blue flame.

"Get lost, Hades. Now's not the time." Cloud glared behind him, feeling Leon's hand slip into his own, his fingers squeezing gently to catch Cloud's attention.

"Oh I'd say now is the perfect time. Looks like you're about to welch on our deal, and you know how I feel about people who go back on their word."

Leon tugged on his fingers again, arresting his attention. "You broke free once before, Cloud. You can do it again." He reminded him as Cloud turned back to look at him, his eyes locking with Leon's as he held his hand tighter. The line of Cloud's mouth firmed and his jaw took on a hard edge. He stood up, turning to face Hades, standing between the God and Leon, his fists curled at his sides and his eyes hard with determination.

"Sorry Hades, the deals off." He said.

"Is it now?" Hades smiled smugly, the amusement dying on his face just as quickly. "You know what will happen. You break an agreement with me and your Darkness will make sure you suffer. Think you can handle that?"

Cloud didn't relish the idea of having to fight through all that again, and when he compared it to the sweet, promising voice of Darkness that called to him, he almost changed his mind. He took a look back down at Leon, who was watching him with tired, pain-bright eyes, still so determined and sure of him even as Cloud stood in the shadows with his wing outstretched. He had no idea what he had done to deserve it, but he knew he couldn't let it go now.

"I know I can." He replied firmly, watching as Hades scoffed, the blue fire of his hair rising higher.

"Insolent little weasel." He spat. "I should have ordered Sephiroth to kill your precious _light._ "

Cloud's eyes widened, his nostrils flaring in anger as he began to quickly connect the dots. "What?" He growled, knowing there was more to Hades deal than he'd first realised.

Hades smiled coyly, the expression sickening on his menacing face.

"Who do you think told him where to find him?"

Cloud's Darkness exploded in a shower of thunder and lightning, ripples of energy snaking out towards the God as Cloud shot forwards, halfway to pulling his sword from its sheath when he heard Leon call out behind him.

"Cloud, don't!"

He stopped and turned. Leon was slumped over, hand pressed to the old wound at his chest, face contorted in agony as he tried not to fall under the thickening tendrils of Darkness, and Hades was laughing behind him, taunting him, working hard to coax him into fighting a battle he knew he couldn't win.

Cloud let his hand fall to his side, letting go of the anger that fuelled the storm clouds overhead, the thunder receding as the Darkness disappeared. Closing his eyes, Cloud lifted his chin and with a short, sharp yelp, he pulled his wing back into himself and staggered there, wavering for a moment as all of the chaos in his mind cleared.

Hades had stopped laughing now, and as Cloud opened his eyes, he saw the God gathering up his own dark shadows, his face thunderous as he began to fade from sight.

"You'll regret this, Cloud. I'll make you suffer for defying me." He promised, before disappearing into the underworld.

There was nothing left in the gloomy corridor but silence and the sound of heavy breathing. Cloud turned and rushed back to Leon's side, kneeling next to him as he helped him sit up and a hand quickly found its way to Leon's cheek.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, his whisper loud in the quiet.

Leon nodded. "I'm alright. Just tired." He admitted, the relief in his voice palpable as the pain subsided now that the Darkness was gone.

Cloud rested his forehead against Leon's, breathing in time with him as they both took a moment to recover.

"Thank you." Cloud eventually said, placing a brief kiss to the bridge of Leon's nose, right over the scar that divided his face in two. "For not giving up on me." He clarified pulling away just enough to peer into Leon's bright, silver eyes.

"Sometimes," Leon began, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he stared back "It makes me mad that you'd so easily give up on yourself."

Cloud reached up and tucked a stray bang behind Leon's ear, returning his half smile with one of his own. "That's why I need you." He said, enjoying the closeness of the older man after so many weeks of feeling torn apart.

Leon's smile faded, replace by a sad melancholy.

"I don't know if I can be what you need." He said quietly, wanting to pull away from Cloud's gentle touch but unable to make himself.

"Then just settle for being the person that I _want_." Cloud shot back, forcing Leon to meet his gaze with a gentle finger under his chin.

Leon hesitated, staring at Cloud for a long time before he responded by raising his arms, snaking them around Cloud's neck, and pulled him down into a firm hold, his face buried into the crook of his neck as he breathed a sigh of relief at finally being held. He was weak and he was fallible and he was a poor excuse for light, but he couldn't deny that it felt good to give in to Cloud's words.

Cloud held him close and felt all the tremors run through Leon's body as he finally relaxed and became heavy in his arms, his fatigue catching up with him as he pulled away slightly, dragging his mouth past Cloud's ear, along his cheek to press his lips against his; the kiss sloppy and tired, becoming fierce and needful as Cloud turned into it, bringing his hand up to cup the side of Leon's face as his arms fell away from Cloud's neck.

"I'm gonna need you to help me up." Leon said against his lips, voice husky in the quiet.

Cloud let out a breathy chuckle, mouth curling at the edges as he placed a soft peck to the end of Leon's nose and then stood, holding out a hand to help him up off the ground.

Leon groaned with the effort, but he staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on Cloud's shoulder as he braced himself for the long walk back to the ship.

"Come on," Cloud said, picking up the crutch from the wall where it had fallen, handing it to Leon as he shuffled away from their spot in the shadows. "Lets get you home."

They left the dark recesses of the hypogeum and the sounds of the roaring, baying crowd above it, and walked slowly, leaning against each other through the jostling streets, heading back towards Radiant Garden, and home, and everything that still needed rebuilding.


End file.
